Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-24
ROADS AND BRIDGES,
A Sermon from San Angelo with General
Application.
san Angelo Record.

Application.
san Angelo Record.
There is hardly anything OF greater i'm
pOrtance in the rapid development of s
country than good public roads Often
these means of communication have been
compares to the veins of the body through
which the blood of life is circulating, and
certainly such comparison is good The
life Of the body polite, whether it be
state or smaller district, is
partly dependent on roads estab-
fishing the necessary connection
between the different parts. all COM
merce would have 10 stop without them,
and tie cosmopolitan aspect of modern
countries is due to the vast Improvements
OF the means of communication. This is
known and appreciated by our citizens,
and not altogether in vain hsve been their
efforts in this direction; on the contrary,
we think we can safely predict that ID
less than six months the iron rails of the
Ssntal Fe Railway Company will
connect us with the rest OF the
world, and silence the only objec-
ton which is sometimes raised
against San Angelo. Other railroads are
contemplating to extend their lines to-
wards our city, end the time is near at
hand when San Angelo will be the indus
trial and commercial center of the western
part of our state. But to make railroads
efficient there must be country roads Of
all the different classes provided by the
Legislature to connect ranches, farms and
settlements with distributing points.
They are the feeders, and without them
railroads would be but to little purpose.
The peculiar conditions under which
our town attained its first growth
have made the necessity of well estab-
| lished roads less apparent than 1t ought
to have been. Land was of little value.
| Roads were selected wherever the con-
venienCe of the traveller required them.
Not until late years, when the develop
ment OF the country enhanced the value
of the lands and consequently caused
| the lands to be fenced, did the road ques-
/ ton receive the attention st the hands
of the Commissioners court
| it's Importance deserved Our present
| Commissioners court is fully alive 10 the
! fact thst public roads are s public neces-
| shy. At their last meeting they took the
preliminary steps to establish q number
of much-needed roads in our county.
| Their action ought 70 be encouraged and
meet with the hearty approval of all good
citizens. Especially ought the law
be carried ont that requires
roads to the county seats of adjoining
counties. Good rOads make inter
course easy and encourage trade. All
! classes of citizens are directly interested
in this manner, but especially is it to the
interest Of the towns TO have good roads
approach them in sill directions, for all
things being equal, that town most
easily reached by the public viii secure
the largest trade. 1t goes without say
ing, that roads ought to be secured now
when this can be done with comparatively
little expense. Land is cheap now, but
| is rapidly increasing in value. Let Tom
, Green county, therefore, work at once
with will to secure these avenues of
trade so necessary to her welfare. Many
of our streams should be brldged in order
to facilitate communication and trade.
Heavy loads can only be hauled with diff
ficulty across the rough beds and up the
steep banks of our larger streams, and
IRE quently communication is stopped
by rises. The expense of building large
bridge, it is true, is heavy, but the ben
eft derived will amply compensate for
the outlay. Every one interested in the
development Of the ConCho country ought
TO form himself into q committee to Sc
cure roads and bridges, assured that they
will add hundred fold to the wealth and
prosperity of our county.